Designer of the week: Ruth Duckworth

The 2010 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair (SOFA) catalogue recently included an interesting essay (or rather collection of quotes) on the late Ruth Duckworth.

Designer of the week: Nika Zupanc

From a dollhouse to lolita lamps, I'm in love with the understated elegance of these items.

"So the intention obviously is not to create a so-called "feminine" design, but the opposite - the intention is to articulate visual elements, which are being seen as feminine and make them expectable and desirable. In other words, I am just designing things that have a restrained, articulated touch of femininity because I am convinced that this is a topic which still is considered as "no go" in the mostly boys' club of the contemporary design industry." Nika Zupanc, c/o moco

Designer of the week: Patricia Urquiola

www.patriciaurquiola.com

Designer of the week: Nanna Ditzel

www.nanna-ditzel-design.dk

Designer of the week: Stephen Burks

www.readymadeprojects.com

Designer of the week: Florence Knoll Bassett

www.knoll.com

Designer of the week: Anna Castelli Ferrieri

Designer of the week: Enzo Mari

"The fable game is made up of six color plates, almost like a magic pack of cards with forty-five animal pictures on them, plus the sun, the moon, an umbrella, a big boot, a cage, eight trees, a tree trunk, nine bamboo canes, five stones, an apple, a pile of earth, a nest and two eggs, all the things that appear in classic fairy tales. Children can make up stories by mixing the plates to create countless variations. This revolutionary design allows children to make up their own stories, they can tell them to adults or other children." www.unicahome.com

Designer of the week: Jaime Hayon

www.hayonstudio.com

Designer of the week: Tapio Wirkkala

Years ago, Toronto's Design Exchange presented an amazing retrospective on Tapio Wirkkala. His Bolle Bottles series make for some of the most exquisitely elegant glass work.

Designer of the week: Tage Frid

Most of us have a "wish list" of things to do or learn in our lifetime. Woodworking has always been one of mine. I've always admired artisans who spend hours toiling in a studio building and rethinking items for day to day use. Born in Denmark, Tage Frid taught at the Rhode Island School of Design. In the next few weeks (or when his guidebook arrives), Krystuccia (who is pleased as punch!) will finally embark on building a chair. Luckily, they have made progress on voice recognition computer programs to compensate for the loss of my fingers when I accidentally saw them off.

Designer of the week: Luigi Colani

Luigi Colani's Space Age lamps from the 70s inexplicably makes me smile.